Say Yes To Forever

Chapter Two

My gaze lazily looks through the bay windows of the kitchen trying to take it all in. From the bustling city of Montreal to the straight wilderness of Vermont… everything here seems almost unfiltered, untouched. The sky a stark azure, the forest a magnificent emerald, even the panels of our new house a bold slate. The wildlife is unafraid of us, a family of deer walking across our driveway now.

When we had arrived last night, there was practically no light pollution and I spent at least an hour just staring above us. I haven’t seen the Milky Way in decades, and for a moment I was reminded of some of the nights we spent in France some sixty years ago.

So much has changed since then. Since The Great War, since my tranziție, since being adoptat by Claude and his wife Caroline. So much has changed even within the last twenty-four hours, when we finally arrived in Stars Hallow and started our new lives.

And yet… as I draw myself back into the kitchen, some things stay the same. Willow and Alex are debating something political across the kitchen table, Tori is helping Mom make breakfast at the stove, and Dad is in his office.

“Cyrus,” Mom calls to get my attention.

I look up quickly, “Yes, ma’am?”

She wipes her hands on a towel, “Will you go get your father, please?”

Standing, I nod, “Of course.”

Making my way through the massive house, I find Dad on the complete opposite end to the kitchen. Unpacking books to the built-ins by the window, I knock softly to get his attention.

“Hey, kiddo” he smiles. He puts the book he is holding on the shelf and then turns with his hands on his hips. “Breakfast is ready, I presume?”

“Seems like it.”

“Good, good, we all need to talk, anyway.”

He follows me back and as I slide into my chair; I notice him give Mom and kiss on the cheek. Then he claps his hands together, getting everyone’s attention. “Now! I know we’ve covered this before, but let’s cover it again, shall we?”

Tori rolls her eyes but quiets down with everyone else. Dad pulls his chair out and leans back with his arms across his chest. “We’re in Basic-human territory and we have to do our utmost to hide anything Sub-human about us. Luckily, we’ve come to a small town that has, well, shall we say, a skewed view of Subs and Vampires in particular.

“From what I gather, they think we can’t go out in the Sun and have to drink blood straight from a Human. So, we should maybe try and not show our strength,” he looks pointedly at Alex, “and just be as… mundane as possible.”

“It really shouldn’t be too hard,” Mom says as she places one plate of bacon and another plate of scrambled eggs down on the table. “We just go about our lives, don’t drink blood in public, don’t use any of our metamorphic abilities in front of people, and do not bring up anything that is older than you are,” she makes a face at Tori.

She rolls her eyes, “Technically I’m two hundred years old.”

Mom sighs, “No. Technically, you are seventeen.”

Tori reaches forward for a roll and breaks it apart, muttering, “Whatever,” under her breath.

“Caroline’s right,” Dad says in his important voice. “I’m Claude Francis Laveroi, forty-eight, professor of European economics, your mother is Caroline Ella Laveroi, forty-five, and a lawyer. Now, try not to bring up the fact she’s a lawyer for Subs, and just push the fact that she’s back to school to be able to practice in the United States.”

He points to Willow and Alex, “You are Willow Julia Laveroi, twenty-five, working on getting your Ph.D., you are Alexzander Jacques Laveroi, twenty-five, also working on your Ph.D.”

Then he turns towards me and Tori. “You are Cyrus Johnathan Laveroi, twenty-three, getting your Master’s with your teaching assistant job at the community college. And you, young lady,” he smiles, “are Victoria Emma Laveroi, seventeen years old and a Senior at Stars Hallow High.”

Everyone is nodding, continuing to make it through breakfast. It’s not too long of a lull though before Mom starts up again. “I think we should finish unpacking and then head into town. The realtor left a map of Stars Hallow and it looks like an adorable little place.” She slices through her second sausage, “Oh, and Cyrus, I did check, they do have a bookstore, so you don’t have to drive all the way to the city.”

Making it to Stars Hallow town square was fine enough. We did walk the whole way, just to get to know the area, but most of the time it probably would be easier to drive. One thing we all noticed as soon as we reached town limits, though, was soon as people saw us, our presence was put under a microscope. Dad had warned us this might happen, but I had not expected it to be so intense.

And their lack of fear or social anxiety? Multiple people – dozens actually, from Mayor Morrison to the bookstore owner Miss Kathy, came straight up to introduce themselves and get a close look at us. We focused and worked to read their minds just to make sure we were safe. Thankfully, we all learned that whatever rumors or worries that we are Subs, are Vampires, were quickly dismissed. ‘Oh, they’re out in the Sun’, ‘look, they’re drinking water’, and ‘huh, I can’t see any fangs…’.

Once we felt more comfortable, Mom took Tori to meet with the dance teacher, Alex said he was going to go see what the town mechanic was like, Dad and Willow wanted to check out the local diner, and I thought, with it being such a beautiful day, it might be nice to find some shade and just… figure out my place in this new chapter.

I wandered around the square just to check out all the shops, then crossed the street into the commons. The whole area is under a canopy from various trees and there is a cute little gazebo in the middle with a band. Watching them for a moment, I enjoy the classical music they’re playing. Then, looking around, I notice a perfectly good bench to sit and gather my surroundings.

Easing down into the bench, my thoughts linger on how everything smells different here. The air, the trees, the buildings, the people… God, the people smell different. Maybe it is because they are American, their heritage – their genetics, or maybe it is because of what they eat. It’s not bad, by any means, but it is so new that I cannot help but smell their skin, their sweat, and their blood.

As per usual, most people are O, with plenty of A and B positive. But then, after another deep breath, an AB-negative - my favorite - catches my attention. Trying to not seem too squirely, I slowly look around, pushing my hair back with my hand.

And there she is.

Leaving the corner with Duke’s diner, she looks both ways before crossing the street. Her obsidian hair shines in the sunlight, the layers flittering in the breeze like feathers. Her peaches and cream complexion contrasts greatly, making her look like a celebrity from the forties. With a cup of coffee in one hand and the other holding a book against the short skirt of her Summer dress, she heaves a breath when she gets into the commons. I cannot think how perfect she seems… perfect down to her blood type.

“Who’s perfect?” Tori asks loudly as she sits next to me.

Startled, I stutter, “W-what? No one.” Then I frown and whisper, “Don’t read my mind.”

She shrugs. “I didn’t. Your mind f*****g screamed it.”

I roll my eyes but know that’s a real possibility. “Whatever. How was the dance teacher?” And as Tori replied, I tried looking for the girl again, but she was already gone.